Notice

Colin Mills, compiler of the Hortus Camdenensis, died in late November 2012 after a short illness. As he always considered the Hortus his legacy, it is his family's intention to keep the site running in perpetuity. It will not, however, be updated in the near future.

Yucca bowieana [Macarthur]

Unidentified Yucca or related species. I have found no reference to a plant of this name.

It is possibly an error with Aloe bowieana intended, although it seems unlikely that Macarthur would mistake a plant from the Americas with one from South Africa. See Notes.

 

Horticultural & Botanical History

No data

 

History at Camden Park

Listed in the 1845, 1850 and 1857 catalogues [B.453/1845]. 

 

Notes

The identity of Aloe bowieana Salm-Dyck is unclear with the Plant List regarding it as an unresolved name but the Red List of South African Plants listing it as a synonym of Gasteria bicolor Haw. var. bicolor. This is a small succulent perennial 7-25 cm tall, but can attain greater size in some populations, up to 40-60 cm in height. It has fleshy, deep green leaves edged with white and covered in white splashes. [http://www.cactus-art.biz/schede/GASTERIA/Gasteria_bicolor/Gasteria_bicolor_liliputiana/Gasteria_bicolor_liliputiana.htm].
Aloe bowiea Schult. & Schult.f. is another possibility. This plant was collected by the Kew collector James Bowie in the Cape of Good Hope in 1821 or 1822. This plant is a stemless, clump forming succulent reaching a maximum height of 140 mm and several plants form mats that can be up to 500mm in diameter. Leaves are a pale green colour, long and thin in shape, broad at the base with whitish spots near the base and tiny white teeth at the leaf margins. [http://www.succulents.co.za/aloes/dwarf-aloes/aloe-bowiea.php].
It should be noted that both plants were named in honour of James Bowie who collected for the Royal Gardens at Kew in both Brazil and South Africa. However, Yuccas do not extend as far south as Brazil, being confined to parts of Central America and North America.

 

Published Jan 22, 2009 - 02:39 PM | Last updated Feb 10, 2012 - 05:33 PM

The photograph shows a succulent with deep green, white-spotted sword-shaped leaves.

Gasteria sp. in the author's garden.

 

Family Agavaceae
Category
Region of origin

Presumably the Americas

Synonyms
Common Name
Name in the Camden Park Record

Yucca Bowieana 

 

Confidence level low